Tile setting template



J1me 1966 D. L. CARMICHAEL, sR 3,254,417

TILE SETTING TEMPLATE Filed April 26, 1963 DANIZLLCAKMICHAELSK BY Wei-5 ATTOIQ E) United States Patent 3,254,417 TILE SETTING TEMPLATE Daniel L. Carmichael, Sr., 578 Armour Circle NE,

- Atlanta, Ga.

Filed Apr. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 275,823

1 Claim. (Cl. 33-480) This invention relates to a tile setting template and to a device of that sort comprising a frame having individual :tile openings defined thereon for the purpose of laylng a plurality of tiles in place on :a floor surface thereafter to receive-grout or other filler material in the joints therebetween.

Tile setting is an arduous process involving a lot ofhand labor requiring the workman to assume uncomfortable positions on his knees placing individual tiles with respect to the corners of the room or other guide lines so that the joints are straight and the tile is laid properly. A great deal of tile varies in dimensions even though it may purportedly be the same size tile. For ei ample, quarry tile varies in exact dimensions and some tiles are furnished in three different sizes which may involve some slight variation in both size by dimension as well as squareness of the tiles. This presents many problems from the standpoint of hand-laying of tiles using an ordinary straight edge which requires a man on each end for efiicient use. There is a demand for a workabletemplate of the sort introduced by this invention which can be used by one man to position tiles to eliminate the usual process of straightening up the tile after it is hand laid or at least reduce the requirements to a minimum.

Generally described, the present template comprises an outer square or quadrilateral frame which preferably is accurately fabricated of narrow steel bars. The frame is rigid and is manufactured accurately to hold its shape. The frame may be assembled by welding, braisin-g or other connection means. In one-embodiment, the outer frame is subdivided into individual tile sub-frames or pockets or the like by the use of similar steel bar material that is arranged transversely of the outer frame members in abutting relationship :to define accurate, rigid, in

dividual tile positions. The depth or height of the individual frame members are such as to provide a planar bottom and top through the use of members of substantially identical size and shape whereby the bottom of .the frame will rest in a level position on a level concrete surface or the like on which tile is being laid. Handles may be provided on top of the frame for the purpose of lifting and moving same and if desired the height of the frame or depth of the individual cross-members may be slightly smaller than the thickness of some tiles whereby the tiles will-be positioned with the upper surface above the upper edge of the individual cross-members and 'a kneel-board may be placed across the tiles without disturbing the frame. Or if preferred, the frame may be made higher than the tiles and of a different dimension to suit those workmen who prefer a different mode or method of laying the tile. g

An object of. this invention is to provide a rigid template which may be positioned on a surface and having individual tile frames thereon and which individual tiles may be positioned thereby to lay a plurality of tiles in proper alignment with a suitable joint-space therebetween.

A further object of :this invention is to provide a tile template constructed from steel or'similar material which is absolutely rigid in construction and accurate in size and corner angles and the like so as to assure positive alignment and laying of the tiles in a group.

A further object of this invention resides in the use of 21 closed frame as contrasted with any types of open frames whereby the individual tiles are confined in sub- -frames or pockets of their own and all of the tiles may be laid into the frame before the frame is moved and the joints made.

Other and further objects of my invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a frame made in accordance with the present invention with some of the tiles miss-ing.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the frame shown in FIG. 1 with some tiles missing and some tiles in place and one tile set on edge.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 33 in FIG. 2. I

Referring initially to the perspective view shown in FIG; 1 and thence as the specification unfolds to the other figures of the drawings, the entire frame is designated by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a substantially square or quadrilateral construction consisting of a main or outer peripheral frame designated generally by the reference numeral 12 and comprising opposed side members 14, 16 running in one direction and opposed side members 18, 20 connected with the respective-ends of the side members 14, 16 and running in a perpendicular direction. The abutting ends of the respective frame members 14, 1-6, 18, 20 are angularly formed in perpendicular relationship by accurate manufacturing and are joined rigidly and permanently in accurate connection by braising, welding or other permanent connection. This creates rigid, perpendicular corners 22 at each corner of the frame 12.

In the present embodiment, the main frame 12 is subdivided into 36 individual tile frames designated generally by the reference numeral 24, each being defined by a sub-frame member 26 running in the direction parallel to the frame members 18, 20 and a sub-frame member 28 running in the opposite direction and parallel to the side frame members 14, 16.

As seen readily in the drawings, all of the frame members 14, 16, 18, 20 and the sub-frame members 26, 28 may be flat, steel bar stock of the desired height and thickness to fulfill the accurate, permanent requirements of the frame template. The sub-frame members 26, 28 abut each other at each corner of the inside of the outer frame 12, which corner is designated by the reference numeral 28, and the individual sub-frames 24 may be defined by placing subframe members in spaced relationship continuously across the'frame in one direction and then welding or braising individual short sub-frame members at the respective corners 28 in the other direction. According to this construction, it would be immaterial whichframe members 26, 28 run continuously in one direction and which are made up of individual frame members welded or braised at the corners. Each sub-frame member 26, 28 extends beyond the respective side frames 14, 16, 18, 20 to provide projections 29 that are used for positioning and alignment.

The thickness of the tiles 30 may vary as well as the depth or height of the individual frame members 14, 16, 18, 20 and sub-frame members 26, 28. Thus, it is possible to construct a frame which is narrow in height and which allows the tile members 30 -to protrude thereabove thereby having a surface of all of the tile members above the upper edge 32 of the top ofthe template pin or the height of the individual frame members 14 et a1. may be such as to cause the top edge 32 to protrude above all of the tiles 30 thereby recessing the top surface 32 of the tiles. Since a mortar compound is placed on the bottom 34 of the tiles and the tiles are tapped in place, the height relationship between the thickness of the tiles 30and the height of the individual members 14 et al. is something which may vary according to selection and which will be obvious in view of the relationship just described.

Handles 38 are placed on opposite ends of the frame 10 whereby one operator after setting tiles in place in the Patented June 7, 1966 frame may reach over with the handle 38 in each hand and gently and carefully lift the frame from the tiles leaving the tiles in place with a joint therebetween defined and formed by the thickness of the internal sub-frame members 26, 28.

In those embodiments which would have the top edge 32 of the tile template 10 below the top surface 33 of the tiles 30, a kneel-board (not shown) may be placed across several of the tiles to allow the workman to position tiles on one end or the other of the frame without disturbing the entire frame 10 itself.

As stated previously, the size and accuracy of tiles themselves will vary not to mention the fact that tiles are specifically manufactured in different sizes for different appearances and diiferent jobs. 'Due to the variation in the size and the squareness of the tiles, there should be some clearance in each of the individual sub-frames 24 or tile pockets 24 to allow for the variation in the size and squareness of the tiles which would be accumulated and taken care of in the formation of the joints and which variation would not be so obvious as to be apparent to the eye or to cause a material difference in appearance after the joints are made. The template is of such a size and construction as to be handled efficiently and easily by one man who may use it and remove it from position to position without any help.

One method of starting the use of the template is to place the two adjacent sides, such as 16, 18, or 14, 20,

against the tile already in place and in doing so the tiles fitted to are the sides which have already been placed accurately in the template rather than sides which may have the variation so that the template is always kept in l ne. The template 10 is continued in alignment With tiles 30 already laid by inserting respective projections 29 therein (see FIG. 2).

be made in the embodiment and method shown and described without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a tile template, a template frame comprising four individual, outside identical elongated flat metal frame members constructed from flat metal bars, there being two in each direction parallel with one another connected together at respective corners by rigid abutting connections to form a rigid frame with the corners square and perpendicular and normally placed on edge with the flat surface vertical, a plurality of individual sub-frames on said outer frame constructed from flat metal bars, said sub-frames being constructed from individual sub-frame members, there being sub-frame members in one direction parallel to one side and individual sub-frame members in the other direction parallel to the other side and said respective subframe members abutting and being rigidly connected at the respective corners, and normally placed on edge with the flat surface vertical thereby forming individual tile frames in which individual tiles may be placed with the sub-frame members extending upwardly between respective tiles, the top surface of some of said frame and subframe members being co-planar to provide a flat surface and the bottom surface of some of the sub-frame members being co-planar whereby said entire frame may be placed on a surface and individual tiles positioned in the individual sub-frame and the entire frame, and short projections from the four sides of the outside frame members to be inserted between tiles to align the frame with tiles already laid.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,466,919 4/1949 Sykes 33180 FOREIGN PATENTS 988,743 5/1951 France.

ISAAC LISANN, Primary Examiner. 

